Letter: Retired Superintendent: Macksey Cares Deeply About the City

Letter to the EditorPrint Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

I am please to submit this endorsement of Jennifer Macksey for mayor of the city of North Adams. The role of mayor is an extremely challenging, demanding, and arduous position with a large scope of responsibilities. In order to be successful, it is imperative that a candidate brings with them a certain set of skills.

The 2022 city budget is $46,166,998.The city side of government has approximately 20 different departments, 34 different boards and commissions and nearly100 employees. Additionally, the mayor is the chairperson of the School Committee for the North Adams Public Schools with a district budget of $17,769,074 and another 380-plus employees. Although we have two strong candidates, I know Jennifer Macksey is the best qualified, ready, and able to make the smoothest transition into this position.

Please consider the following:

Jennifer is well trained, with a bachelor of science in accounting and administration from Trinity College and a master's in higher education administration from Bay Path College. She brings with her the strong academic foundation that is a must-have to understand and maintain the city's financial well-being.

She has experience. In 1995, Jennifer was hired by the city as the director of finance and chief procurement officer. During this time, I held the position of assistant superintendent for the district. I was responsible for approximately half of the district's $15,000,000 budget as well as approximately $6,000,000 in grant funding. I worked with her office regularly and quickly realized how competent and knowledgeable an Administrator she was. Jen became my go-to person not only for state, federal, and local procurement and bidding but also as a resource for a wide range of financial issues. Additionally, over the next five years, she became very well versed with all district programs, staffing and their funding sources. While I cannot speak to the city's other 50-plus departments and boards, I am confident that a similar relationship ensued.


In 2000-2001, both of our positions changed. She became the city treasurer/tax collector and chief financial officer and I was appointed superintendent of schools. For the next eight years she oversaw the entire city budget and was thoroughly versed in the workings of the school budget. Our responsibilities grew as did our knowledge of the city and educational management as every aspect of the city and educational governance was now in our purview. The culmination of these 13 years that Jennifer spent in these two roles is invaluable as it allows her to step into the position of mayor with a clear understanding of what is required to manage this city with care and initiative.

Finally, and in my eyes perhaps the most important reason, is that she cares deeply about the city and its citizens. When difficult decisions arise, her deciding cursor has always been "do what's best for the people in North Adams." Training, experience and concern — these are the things that should resonate in everyone's ears as they walk into the polling booths to make this very important choice of who will be next to lead the City of North Adams.

I recommend Jennifer Macksey for mayor to you without reservation.

James Montepare
Williamstown, Mass.

James Montepare is a retired superintendent of the North Adams Public Schools.

 

 


Tags: election 2021,   letters to the editor,   municipal election,   


If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories